Hello Mrs Potter!
by Lily's Thorns
Summary: On a trip to Scotland, Lily meets Harry & Janice Potter. Sadly the train crashes and weeks later, Lily awoke at Hogwarts under the name of Janice Potter. Taking up the identity, the Potters welcome her with open arms. But James is still suspicious! ON HOL
1. Prologue: A Sad Goodbye To France

**Disclaimer: **If you recognize any of HP characters, then i don't own them. J.K. Rowling does though, so if you want them ask her... The story is also based on the movie "Mrs. Winterbourne" though everything has been changed (except for the main storyline).

**Summary: **During a long trip to Scotland, Lily briefly meets the nice Harry Potter and his newly-wedded wife, Janice. Unfortunately tragedy strikes all three of them when the train never reached its destination after being involved in a terrible crash. Two weeks later, Lily awoke at a school's Hospital Wing nearby where she was mistaken for Janice. She then meets the famous Potters who are now willing to accept her in the family and be involved in her life. Confused and yearning for love, Lily hesitantly decided to take up the deceased woman's identity. However, there is one person whom she cannot fool in this charade for James Potter (Harry's brother) greatly suspects her! 

**Author's note: **i decided to write this second story because i'm having a huge writers block on "Painful Memories" (to those who do read it, dun worry the next chapter will be out by November)... anyhow, please review to this story even if u dun' like it... all comments are welcome and would be very much appreciated... thanx! 

**HELLO MRS. POTTER!**

**Prologue: A Sad Goodbye To France**

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_(Lily's P.O.V.)_

My seven years at Beauxbatons had been the best times of my life. There, I was protected and sheltered from the outside world, while being given the finest magical education that France had to offer. Loving friends and wonderful professors who truly cared for me like I was their own flesh and blood surrounded myself. At the time, everyone had made sure that I lead a wonderful teenage life. All in all, the school became my safe haven and I've never felt more happy or at home. 

Sadly, such a fairytale had to end.

When Graduation came, I received the most terrible news of my life. I remember the Ministry owl swooping around myself as I gave my Head Girl farewell speech. Thinking that the animal mistook me for another recipient, I tried to ignore it the best that I could. It was very hard to do so since the creature made such an annoying racket. Then, a few minutes later, it happened… 

The owl dropped a long black envelope in my hands, and everyone suddenly became very still and silent. Their eyes stared at me with an such worry. I glanced over to my friends, whom I knew had battled with their consciousness. Unwillingly, they stopped themselves from running up at the stage to give me a consoling hug and to support me by their side. Looking down at the letter once again, I began to tremble with fear. I knew that black envelopes usually meant something bad… Very bad, indeed…

"No, it can't be!" I had whispered. 

Hoping desperately for the best, I quickly tore the envelope open and began to read the dreadful words that were written across the piece of parchment. After skimming through the contents of the page, my eyes widened… I could not believe it… I did not want to believe it… The letter had stated that my parents were dead… Murdered by the most feared wizard himself, Voldemort… In shock, I tried to walk away from the scene. However, I had not taken a few steps before I slipped out of consciousness on the middle of the room.

It took me a very long time to finally accept the fact that my parents were gone. I had to force myself to see that they were never coming back. Unfortunately, this was not the end of my nightmare. A couple of days after my school Graduation, my only sister Petunia had written me a letter to simply say that my invitation to our mother and father's funeral had been withdrawn. In anger, I apparated at her muggle house to give her a piece of my mind. 

I remember storming up to her bedroom at two o'clock in the morning, yelling at how she had no right to do such thing. Quite shocked by my untimely visit, Petunia threw an expensive vase at me in greeting. Luckily, I avoided the hit and still remembered my purpose of being there.

"How dare you!" I had said.

I was so upset at my sister for excluding me out of the family that I said a lot of spiteful things that day; none of which I truly meant. I told her that she was simply jealous of the fact that mom and dad paid more attention to me when they were living… That she could not stand how she wasn't the center of our parents' attention… And most of all, that she has displayed herself as nothing more than a failure to them… In retaliation, Petunia reasoned that their death had been my entire fault… That it was my "disgusting" kind who killed them mercilessly… That I should be ashamed to even show my face to the rest of the family… In hearing this, I paled visibly and felt very much sick. I shook my head.

"That's not true." I told her in a quiet voice.

However, my whole world was being enveloped into guilt as seconds passed by. I began to see that her actions were justified and that I could do nor say nothing to my defense. I slowly realized that what she had said bore the horrible truth to them. 

My eyes welled up with tears, yet I refused to cry in front of my older sister. Giving her one last pained glance, I disapparated back to my private room at Beauxbatons. Once I got there, I allowed the tears to flow freely down my cheek. Petunia's last words constantly played on my head and I was suddenly overwhelmed by so much grief. I felt filthy, overpowered, and accountable for the recent event. 

"How?" I asked myself as I collapsed on the ground. "How could I have done such a thing?"

My heart broke into little pieces as I envisioned my precious moments with my father and mother. I remembered their smile as they looked down on me when I first received my letter from Beauxbatons... Their eyes that sparkled with happiness when I accomplished something great... Their hands that helped me through the rocky roads of my youth... Their voices that whispered many wise words in my ear... Their shared touch that gave me the tender love and care when I was feeling lonely and blue...

With my face wet with tears, I pounded hard on the floor.

"Why did this happen to me? What did I do to deserve this?"

Suddenly my hands shook uncontrollably and when I looked down on them, a horrific sight met my blurry eyes. Instead of its usual complexion, my skin was stained with something thick and red. On closer inspection, I saw that they were bathed with blood. 

"No!" I gasped. I stumbled toward the bathroom, sobbing loudly. I had to wash the stain off. 

In entering the bathroom, I quickly rushed towards the sink. I turned the tap on to let the cold running water flow. Putting my hands under the liquid, I rubbed them furiously. 

'Please come off.' I thought desperately.

Looking up and seeing my reflection on the mirror, I immediately turned away. I knew that I was a dreaded mess... My face was very much pale and covered with cold sweat that it gave me a sickly appearance... My hair, which was usually tied into a tight ponytail, was laid down and frizzier than ever... My eyes; my once beautiful emerald eyes had sunk to my skin carrying a haunted expression in them... 

As I turned my attention back to my hands, I saw that they were no longer stained with blood. Drying them off with a soft towel, I then tried to look for any injuries. Apart from having very red hands, I found no physical harm inflicted to myself. I realized with a start that I had only imagined the blood.

Going back to my room, I noticed the photograph of my "once-happy" family on the bedside table. I reached out and stared at it for a while. Tracing its frames with my finger, I felt my emotions taking over my whole being once again. One by one, tears began to fall. I lay down on my bed slowly as I hugged the picture close to my heart. I wanted it to stay there forever. Burying myself into another agonizing cry, I deeply wished for my parents to still be alive.

"Mom... Dad..." I whispered.

Two hours later, exhaustion finally took over my body; and closing my eyes, I had entered into a dreamless sleep.

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Waking up the next day, I quickly made up my mind. I had settled on a firm decision and nobody could change it otherwise. I briskly walked into the room of my dear headmistress early that morning to tell her that I was leaving the country. She had dropped her cup of tea in surprise and absolutely refused to believe me at first. After seeing that I was serious however, Madame Terrance pleaded for myself to stay. Out of compassion, she even offered me a teaching position at the school. As good as the proposal sounded, I had to refuse. 

I told her that couldn't stay in France, especially at the magical world. The place just brought too many painful memories. I knew that I had to get away. Hearing my reason out completely, the headmistress reluctantly consented. She gave me a heart-warming goodbye and reminded to visit the school at least once a year. 

"Remember, if you need ze anythin, owl me." She had said.

I smiled at her sadly and promised that I would try my best to keep in touch.

"Au Revoir." I told her in French.

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Later on that day, I found myself sitting on a plane that was headed to London, England. Everyone around me seemed to be sleeping comfortably. I, however, stared at the window looking alone and feeling so lost. How things got here, I had absolutely no idea. One minute, I was telling all of my classmates to reach for their dreams and never let it go. And then, that owl came with that stupid letter. The letter that ruined my life.

I then thought of all the things I was leaving behind in France. My friends who never let me down...

_"Thanks for being such a great friend Lily!"_

My professors who pushed me to my potential...

_"The words are Wingardium Leviosa."_

The beautiful grounds of Beauxbatons... 

_"Wow! Just breathtaking... I wonder who takes good care of these gardens."_

My sister Petunia who now loathed me with such passion...

_"Get out of my house! Get out of my life!"_

I closed my eyes as I painfully blocked their voices out of my head. Thinking about how I selfishly abandoned my loved ones hurt terribly. I ached for their presence and their support. 

"Stop this Lily. Leaving France was the smartest thing you've done. It's worth it." I finally told myself in a miserable tone. "It's time to start a new life." 

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Looking ahead: _Chapter 1._

Fast forward - three years after Lily arrives at England. 

Lily deals with some very rude and obnoxious customers at work.

Memories of her parents.

Important letters from France.

Going to Scotland. 


	2. Learning Independence The Hard Way

**Disclaimer: **If you recognize any of HP characters, then i don't own them. J.K. Rowling does though, so if you want them ask her... The story is also based on the movie "Mrs. Winterbourne" though everything has been changed (except for the main storyline).

**Summary: **During a long trip to Scotland, Lily briefly meets the nice Harry Potter and his newly-wedded wife, Janice. Unfortunately tragedy strikes all three of them when the train never reached its destination after being involved in a terrible crash. Two weeks later, Lily awoke at a school's Hospital Wing nearby where she was mistaken for Janice. She then meets the famous Potters who are now willing to accept her in the family and be involved in her life. Confused and yearning for love, Lily hesitantly decided to take up the deceased woman's identity. However, there is one person whom she cannot fool in this charade for James Potter (Harry's brother) greatly suspects her! 

**Author's note: **I'm sorry, i couldn't update this story earlier. Like i said in my profile, personal reasons prevented me from continuing this story up until now. This year, I am currently facing some very difficult moments in my life. One of my best friends was diagnosed with leukemia around Christmas time and the whole thing still hasn't processed in my mind properly. I honestly don't know how God can punish someone as sweet and kind as my friend, Victoria, with this illness... I've been spending a lot of time visiting her at the hospital and i still don't want to accept the fact that I could lose her any minute. Vicky has told me countless of times not to be upset for her sake but i can't help it. I'm mad at myself and the whole world since there is no cure for her condition nor can I do anything about it. Anyhow, I'd just like to say that I now dedicate both of my stories to my friend Vicky. Without her as my friend, I am nothing. 

Thanks to my super-cool reviewers: ** Christy Corr** (Lily was supposed to go to Hogwarts but to make this story work, I had to make her a Beauxbatons graduate.), **Crystal Zelda**, **Jewles5**, **buggy-such**, **EbonyQuill**, **you know you're right**, **KyleeMarie**, **lovely*ylEVIL**, **lovely**, **Jessica Potter 5**... anyhow, please review to this story even if u dun' like it... all comments are welcome and would be very much appreciated... thanx!

**HELLO MRS. POTTER!**

**Chapter 1: Learning Independence The Hard Way **

"Damn it, where's my coffee?" 

"Hey, I'm missing a napkin here!" 

"Service?" 

"Excuse me, I'm in a hurry here! And I still haven't got my order!" 

"Madam, I'll be with you in just a minute." I told an agitated woman. 

At twenty-three-years-old; I, Lily Evans was officially noted as a major loser in life. Working at a small sleazy diner called "Mel's Place", I was dressed in a pink and white uniform that left nothing to the imagination. Every time I walked through tables and chairs, the present male customers stared lecherously at me. It appeared as though they wanted to see more than just my long legs. My shoulder length hair didn't help that matter either. Putting them in pigtails, the men commented on how I looked like a woman that dressed herself up as a child. 

"Jerks." I muttered angrily to myself for one customer had slapped my behind. 

"Hey Evans!" My manager, Amanda Rodgriguez called. "You're tray… It's been here for ten bloody minutes!" 

"All right! All right! I'm coming!" I hollered back at her. 

Looking very much harassed, I approached the counter to pick up an order of two cheeseburgers and fries. The cook smiled at me as I unconsciously sniffed the delicious and smoky scent of the food. Its tangy smell caused my stomach to loudly growl in hunger. After all, I had missed my lunch period to cover the shift that I purposely skipped three days ago. 

Strolling past my manager, I saw Amanda shaking her head in annoyance. Ever since the owner promoted her to a higher position, the woman had been giving me a remarkably hard time. Embarrassing me in front of the staff, she yelled at me constantly for the little mistakes I made. In favouring other waitresses, she also gave me the lousiest job and unfortunate hours during work. Furthermore, she did everything in her power to find other faults in me that could cause a deduction to my payroll. Yeah, she was a nasty woman all right! Then again, she did have a good reason to despise me. 

Last year I met a very handsome man named, Craig Anderson. Charming as ever, he was a couple of years older than me and worked as a bartender of a fancy club. On his way to work however, he had often stopped by at "Mel's Place" to order a cup of coffee. While there he quickly chatted with other workers, mainly to someone named Amanda. Everyone was envious of her back then, including myself. After all, she had the attention of the city's local hunk. 

With more than just broad shoulders and muscular built, Craig was also very smart. He knew how to charm women fairly well. I guess that's how I webbed myself into Amanda's bad side. Like any other romantic, I fell for Craig when he first whispered to my ear how he had regularly visited the diner to simply see me. I blushed at his words for no one had ever told me something that was ever so sweet and nice. After that, he began to show up during my shifts with a dozen roses and a box of chocolates. I was very much flattered and though Craig was never formally my boyfriend, we went out a few times and even messed around a little. He had even told me once that he actually loved me. Oh how very foolish of myself to believe him! 

During one of our dates, Craig promised to cook me a wonderful dinner at his place. Big mistake! Before I even showed up at his door, Amanda had planned to visit her fiancé, which turned out to be Craig himself. With this information kept from me, you will not believe at how shocked and angry I was to see my "boyfriend" passionately kissing another woman. 

"Get your hands off him, you bitch!" I told her. 

Surprised, Amanda had quickly pulled herself away from Craig and asked me about what I was doing at his apartment. 

"I'm here on a date with my _boyfriend_!" I replied. 

After that, everything just came out. Amanda found out that Craig had cheated on her with me. I, on the other hand, discovered that Craig and Amanda had been seeing each other for a very long time. And at the sight of a large diamond rock on Amanda's finger, I learned that both of them had planned on getting married in a couple of months. I remember standing by the door, feeling embarrassed at my predicament. For the first time in my life, I had been used as a stand-in for another woman! 

"Miss, where's our damn food already? We're starving!" one of the customers broke me out of my reverie. 

If you're wondering about what happened to Amanda and Craig… Well, let's just say my manager quickly broke off her engagement. Craig tried to mend their relationship of course, but it was too late. The damage was done. As for me… I ended my brief history with men. I simply found it very hard to trust the opposite sex again. Amanda also assumed that I knew about her connection with Craig even before his infidelity. Thus, she never forgave me about the whole incident and has decided to hate me for the rest of her life. After all, I was part of the reason as to why she lost her "true love." 

"Here's your order, sir." I took the two plates off my tray and set them down on a nearby table. 

"It's about bloody time!" exclaimed a pudgy old man. 

Frowning at the rudeness that I received, I quietly took out my order pad. 

"Anything else?" I asked. 

"That'll do, sweet cheeks." 

I nodded and tore of his bill. Placing it down on the table, I told him to pay at the counter. 

"Are you sure you don't want me to work it off for you?" he asked as he gently touched my leg. 

Frustrated, I slapped him really hard with my tray. 

"Oww." He howled out loud in pain. 

"Hands off, you stupid git!" I said. 

The other customers around him laughed as I walked away, miffed. It was one thing to look at me like I was some juicy steak, but to actually violate myself in front of other people… I had to draw the line right there. 

"Lily Evans!" Amanda shouted. "How dare you do such a horrible thing? To a poor customer at that!" 

I rolled my eyes. Here we go again. 

"Apologize to this man at once!" she demanded, while pointing a finger at the pervert. 

I crossed my arm over my chest. "You can't be serious!" 

"Of course I am!" she said. "Now tell him you're sorry!" 

"No." I told her firmly. 

"Evans, if you don't apologize this bloody instant, you can bloody get another job!" Amanda yelled. 

Hearing this, I slowly moved towards my manager who was tapping her foot impatiently on the ground. Thinking that I was about to obey her commands, she smiled at me in a smug manner. However, that look was quickly wiped off of her face when I shoved my tray, my apron, and my order pad in her hands. 

"Fine!" I said through gritted teeth. 

The other waitresses stared at me in shock as I stormed out of the diner and slammed its doors really hard. None of them had expected myself to risk the only living that I had over my stupid pride. 

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"How could I have been so stupid?" 

I paced around my tiny apartment, slightly panicked. After taking a very long walk around the city, my mind had cleared up and I realized what I had done earlier that day. To recap, I had refused to apologize to a customer who deprived me of my morals by treating me like I was some sort of sexual object. And in doing so, I lost the one job I had that kept me off the streets. 

"You idiot!" I told myself. "Why couldn't you just have bloody apologized?" 

Luckily, I learned how to save some money in my bank account. Surely it would be enough to last me for at least two weeks. What I'm planning to do after that, I had absolutely no idea. 

"Damn that Amanda!" I grumbled. 

I walked over to my kitchen to make some coffee. I needed to focus... To think... 

"What am I going to do?" I moaned. 

Finding a newspaper on the counter, I quickly flipped over to the classified sections. My eyes desperately scanned any advertisements that could help my situation. 

Needed accountants... 

Hiring nurses... 

Wanted lawyers... 

I frowned, and in disgust I threw the paper on the recycling bin. All of the open occupations requested for certain requirements; none of which I could offer. Seeing that my coffee was ready, I delightedly poured myself a cup. I needed something that would calm my poor nerves down. 

"Mmm…" I said as I took a small sip from my cup. 

Landing myself on a decent job at London was pretty hard, considering the fact that I had no proper education in the muggle world. Indeed, I did not learn advanced mathematics, sciences, history, and/or geography. In fact, my teachings were far from it for I was taught the most bizarre things at my old school. Seven years at Beauxbatons had only given me an opportunity to learn the complex charms and useful spells that could defend myself against the dark arts. 

To make matters worse, Petunia had squandered up all the money and properties that my parents had left me in their last will of testament. My selfish sister and her newfound husband Vernon Dursley, hired exceptional lawyers to ensure that I was unable to claim my shares. Thus, when I first came to England, I had nothing except for a few clothes on my back and a single toothbrush. I knew that in order to provide for myself, I had to start from scratch. 

So you see, I was truly in a hopeless case. 

"How am I ever going to get through this?" I asked myself. 

Groaning, I went to the living room and sat down on my second-hand couch. Why does life have to be so cruel? 

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**_"In sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, we commend to almighty God..." _**

_Have you ever felt as though the whole word has turned their backs on you? When things never seemed to go your way?_

_Yeah, I had those moments all right… Moments where you just wanted to crawl under a rock and hide there forever… Moments when you felt as if you're whole being was tearing apart… Moments where all of your friends could do nothing but sympathize with you… Moments where you just wanted to forget everything that has happened and simply move on…_

_I sighed._

_I hated such moments._

**_"Our brother, Paul Christopher Evans…" _**

_Walking around aimlessly, I sadly thought of how things could be so different in a single second… How time, though we are living in it, seemed so far away… And no matter how hard we try to stop it… To cherish a part of life… The whole world just keeps on spinning… Always on a constant movement… Never giving us a chance to live out certain things … To hold them together… Or even to feel a moment where there's no pain, no worries, and no regrets…_

_A time where everything looked so easy was simply out of our reach. _

**_"And our sister, Mary Ashley Evans…"_**

_No one asks for such changes to occur… But, they happen all right… It's part of life… And even if you see them coming… Even if you try to prepare for these things… They still hit you really hard in the end…_

**_"And we commit their bodies to the ground…" _**

_So, you may ask… If we have no control over the things that happen around us, are we mere puppets in life? Fortunately, the answer to that wondering question is no. Of course not!_

_But, the big moments will come. They always do. Like I mentioned before, they cannot be helped. Though, it is what we do afterwards that counts. The actions that result from those challenging events… They will help us determine what type of person we really are. We may not be able to change where we come from, but we could definitely do something about the direction that we are going. _

**_"Earth to earth…" _**

_I suddenly stopped walking for I had reached my destination. In front of me were two gravestones, which belonged to my parents. Bending down, I respectfully laid two-dozen white and red roses on the ground._

_"Hello ma mère et mon père." I said._

_Looking at the inscriptions on the first stone, I read the words quietly to myself._

_Paul Christopher Evans  
October 1st 1928 - June 22nd 1976  
Loving Father  
Faithful Husband  
Devoted Friend  
To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides. - David Viscott._

_Beside my father's gravestone was my mother's._

_Mary Ashley Evans  
February 8th 1932 - June 22nd 1976  
Beloved Mother  
Loyal Wife  
Dearest Friend  
God makes everything beautiful in His Time._ - _Ecclesiastes 3:11._

**_"Ashes to ashes…" _**

_A lone tear suddenly fell down on my smooth, pale cheek. Two years have already passed before I actually had enough courage to visit my parents in their graves. It was my chance to finally say a proper goodbye. After all, Petunia did have enough security roaming around the cemetery to keep me away from my mother and father's funeral._

_I admit that it was selfish of me to not even make an effort to show my face at the funeral. I had heard that many of my relatives thought of me as an insolent girl who displayed no consideration to her parents. But how could I? How could I possibly face them? With Petunia's last words still ringing at the back of my mind, I felt very much ashamed of myself. I was the reason why my parents were gone. I knew that my magical powers had brought their lives to an end and the thought of myself killing my own flesh and blood just made me feel sick to my stomach._

_"I'm sorry." I cried silently. "I'm so sorry." _

**_"Dust to dust…" _**

_My knees began to tremble as I sank to the ground. Deep down inside, I knew that I was never such a strong person. As hard as I tried to keep a surface that was void of emotions, my aching heart betrayed my self-control. Burying my face on my hands, I allowed more tears to pour from my eyes. At the moment, I was so weak and torn from life itself. I wished that all the pain and suffering that I felt would go away. But I knew better. I was aware that these vulnerable feelings would stay with me for the rest of my life and there was nothing I could do about it. _

_"Please forgive me." I whispered._

_Suddenly, I felt very cold as a chill went up my spine. A gust of wind blew at my direction making me hold onto my coat tighter. With my face still wet with tears, I looked up at the gravestone in front of me. Paul Christopher Evans... Mary Ashley Evans... I traced the name of my parents with my index finger. Oh God... This was unbearable... I missed them terribly so..._

**_"The Lord bless them and keep them. The Lord makes his face to shine upon them and be gracious to them." _**

_"I didn't mean to do this to the both of you. I - I never wished for any of you to get hurt..." I said to no one in particular._

_Sniffing, I unconsciously lay down on the grass. I didn't care if it was slightly damp from yesterday's hard rain. All I could think about was how I simply wanted to stay there forever. I wasn't ready to let go of the past, and for some apparent reason, I felt somewhat safe on my spot. Knowing that the bodies of my parents were close by gave me a slight sense of comfort. I longed to be near them so much and it hurts to think that such a wish would never be granted. The living and the dead were separated; and the only way in which I could join my loving parents would be if I crossed over to the other side._

_"This isn't fair." I thought as I began to sob uncontrollably. "Why did you have to leave me?" _

**_"The Lord lift up his countenance upon them... And give them peace…"_**

_"Ma mère et mon père... I need you... Come back to me... Please come back to me..." I pleaded desperately._

_Unfortunately, my calls were only echoed through an empty graveyard. No one could hear or see my heartfelt cries as it filled the silent air. Hugging myself, I began to feel numb and cold all over. My heart was slowly building an empty hole filled with such darkness and self-hatred. It would be a very long time before certain special someone would come into my life and mend my pain. But at the moment, I was left there all alone on the cemetery ground to wilt like a rose._

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Beep. Beep. Beep. 

Hearing the annoying sound of my alarm clock, I buried my head underneath the covers. It was too early in the morning and what I wanted more than anything was to sleep in. Clutching my pillow tightly, I tried my hardest to block out the beeping noise in my room. 

Beep. Beep. Beep. 

'Damn it!' I thought angrily. 

Extending my arm out from the sheets, I reached for the alarm clock on my side table. It was quite hard to find the electric device with your eyes tightly shut. After fumbling a few things here and there, my hand finally came into contact with it. In doing so, I quickly took the round, yellow alarm clock into my hands and threw it on the wall with such a force. A loud crash was heard and the beeping quickly suspended. I sighed. Finally, my bedroom was once again quiet and the feeling of irritation suspended. Sadly, the silence would only last for a couple of seconds. 

Five. Four. Three. Two. One. 

Tap. Tap. Tap. 

I groaned as my eyes snapped open at the sound. 

'This cannot be happening to me!' I told myself. 

I got up from the warm and comfortable feeling of my bed and strolled over to my dirty windows. I had a bit of trouble, trying to unlatch it for the handle was somewhat broken. Once I have opened the window, an owl quickly swooped over my head and landed itself on a nearby table. At the sight of the creature, sleep quickly erased itself from my body. I gulped as my heart stopped beating. What was that thing doing in my bedroom? 

Cautiously, I walked over to the owl and saw that it was holding a yellow envelope in its beak; my name and address were written across it in fancy handwriting. My eyes widened. How on earth did they find me after all these years? When I have reached the animal at close range, it dropped the letter on my foot. I stared at the owl in a frightened manner while I bent down to pick up its delivery. As soon as I held the letter in my hands, the creature flew out of my windows. 

I let out a shaky breath. For the first time in five years, someone from the other world had the nerve to contact me! What the bloody hell was going on? 

Ripping the envelope open, I slowly took out its contents. It included a piece of parchment and a train ticket to a magical school. I unfolded the letter and scanned its words with slight curiosity in my part. 

"Dearest Lily, 

It has been a while since I have last heard from you, my favorite student. So much has happened during that long period of time and I simply cannot wait to indulge you in all of the recent events here in France. But more important things have to be attended first; how are you my dear Lily? I sincerely hope that you are in good health. It would break my heart if it were otherwise. 

If you are wondering as to how I have discovered about your residence, then you need not to worry dear for no one else but myself beholds such information. I had visited London two nights ago due to an urgent business that cannot be withheld. During my stay, I happened to drop by a muggle diner called "Mel's Place" to have a late lunch for myself. Funny thing was, the waitress who served me on that fateful day was wearing a uniform that had your nametag on it. Of course, it came to me as quite a shock and I couldn't believe it at first. I asked the waitress if her actual name was "Lily" and obviously, she had replied to me with a simple no. She then explained that she was a new hired help and that the "person" who used to wear "her" uniform had quit recently. In hearing this, my curiosity got the better of me and I then decided to inquire some of the other workers about you. After convincing them that I was a really good friend of yours, one of the young women named "Amanda" told me that she did know a "Lily Evans". Happy at this news, I then pleaded for her to tell me where you live. She seemed hesitant at the beginning; though after a great deal of persuasion, she finally consented and reluctantly gave me your address. So you see, had it not been for this generous manager of yours, I would still be clueless as to where you are. It has been five years and I dare not receive any type of calling from you (even though you promised to write me a letter at least once month). Your disappearing act certainly had the rest of your friends and myself to worry greatly. And I certainly hope that you feel quite guilty of yourself, young lady! 

Ever since you left France, things have never been the same. I'm sure you have heard about the death of the Thompson's. It was an unfortunate thing to happen, indeed. They were such good and innocent people. Your friend Lydia was greatly distressed by the sudden death of her closest aunt. I must tell you that she is in a very poor condition at the moment; her husband Adam has tried the best he could to cheer her up but all his comfort had led to nothing more than depression on Lydia's part. Apart from not attending work for two weeks, she has also been neglecting her health. Adam tells me that Lydia has kept to her room most of the time and has not eaten a proper meal for the past few days. Anyhow, I would be very much grateful if you wrote her a letter that would try and get her to open up. After all, you have been Lydia's best friend for seven years and you both share the same common interests. 

Another reason for my letter is to inform you about the growing power of You-know-who. You may not want to hear this Lily, but it is very important that you listen very carefully. I have received word that there will be an expected attack on London next week and I want you to get out of there as soon as you can. Try not to let anyone know that you will be leaving. We have reason to believe that He-who-must-not-be-named has been spying on your movements for quite some time though we do not know his reasons as of yet. Now, once you have packed up all of your things, I suggest that you go to Hogwarts (your train ticket has already been enclosed). Their kind headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, will be expecting you. 

Sadly, I must end this short letter. Please Lily... I hope you will take my words seriously. It is imperative that you do so. 

Sincerely, 

Madame Terrance." 

"Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!" I said repeatedly. "This can't be happening to me!" 

I glanced over to the letter in my shaking hands and read it over again. Certain words never left my eyes. 

"... death of the Thompson's..." 

"... expected attack on London next week..." 

"... He-who-must-not-be-named has been spying on your movements for quite some time..." 

How could the monster have possibly found me? When I left France, I had made sure to keep my tracks clean. I had never stepped foot on the magical world for five long years; let alone use my own powers. Even though I knew that my close friends would hate me for it, I had also stopped contacting them for their own protection. Oh dear God! How could this have happened? And more importantly, what am I going to do? 

"I can't go back to the other world. I just can't..." I whispered to myself. 

I paced back and forth, hoping against all hope that everything was a nightmare. Just when you thought that things were going fine, another bigger problem arises. God must really hate me for putting me through such awful tests. What had I done to deserve them? 

"It's all just a dream... I'm going to wake up any minute now... Any minute now... Any minute..." 

My eyes were tightly shut as I said those words out loud. I was trying to force myself in believing that I was simply hallucinating. When I opened them, I saw I was still in the same position as before. My heart began to beat wildly and it felt as if my chest would burst from it. That's when I started to panic... 

"It's all true... Oh God no... Madame Terrence was right... He's c-coming after me..." 

My footsteps now sounded very heavy and my next-door neighbors were shouting at me to quit the annoying racket. I can't blame them. After all, it was only six o'clock of a Saturday morning. 

"I have to - I have to get out of here." I said as I hurriedly took out three black suitcases from my closet. 

I had absolutely no choice. The freedom that I once had was robbed away from me yet again. In a hurry, I opened my drawers and carelessly shoved my clothes in my bag. I realized that it was finally time for myself to go back to the wizarding world. 

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Five hours later, I found myself standing in King's Cross Station with a frown on my face. My ticket had said "Hogwarts Express - Platform Nine and Three Quarters". Great! Now where would I find such a ridiculous platform? 

"Excuse me sir? Could you please tell me where I could possibly find Platform Nine and Three Quarters?" I asked one of the passing guards. 

The man looked at me as if I had grown myself two heads. He told me that the platform simply didn't exist and when I couldn't tell him where I was headed, the man started to get concerned. 

"Are you sure you'll be alright, Miss?" he asked. 

"Yes. Yes, I'll be fine." I replied. 

"Perhaps, you would like someone to escort you in the platform that you are looking for." 

"Oh, that's very kind of you but -" 

"It's possible that you were given the wrong the directions. I know for a fact that it's very easy to get lost in this city. If you need some assistance, I'd be happy to help you." 

The man looked at me and apprehension was written all over his face. 'It's official.' I thought, feeling slightly annoyed. 'The passing guard thinks I'm a lost patient of a mental facility.' 

"No, thank you. That would be completely unnecessary. I'm sure I can manage myself." I said in a very firm voice. 

Thankfully, the awfully concerned man took the hint of my tone and he did not pursue for my assistance any longer. Instead, he turned around and quickly went in search for other damsels in distress. Sigh! I should've known better than to ask a common muggle for the train that would lead me to the wizarding world. Obviously, Platform 9 and 3/4 would have to be hidden to the non-magical eye. How could I have possibly missed the fact that witches and wizards would hide themselves from the muggle world? 

Looking up at the large clock over the arrivals board, I saw that I only had ten minutes to find my platform and I tried hard not to panic. Think Lily! Where would a magical platform be? 

Walking aimlessly around between Platforms 9 and 10, I ignored the hustle and bustle of people who had just arrived from a train that came from Edinburgh. It must have looked very odd to everyone at how a twenty-three-year-old woman was pushing a trolley back and fort in the same irritating fashion. I was so concentrated on my thoughts that I did not even see a man rushing past me. As soon as he bumped into my body, the impact of our collision caused myself and my whole trolley to run straight into the second dividing barrier between the platforms. I shut my eyes tightly and braced my ears for the painful crash. 

But the sound never came. Instead, there was only silence. I heard nothing but silence. Slowly I opened my eyes and I realized that I was in a completely different area. In fact, it seemed as though my whole being was no longer at King's Cross Station. Staring ahead, I saw a black steam engine waiting next to a platform that was packed with so many people who wearing long dresses. Actually, they all seemed to be attired in traveling robes. Robes... Witches... Wizards... Magic... 

I was about to let out a sigh of relief but a sign overhead caught my expression. 

The words did not say Hogwarts Express, eleven o'clock just as it stated on my ticket. 

Far from it. 

In its place, it read "Magical Express To Scotland." 

I gulped and my whole body went rigid. Looking behind me, I saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had just been. The words _Platform Nine and A Half_ caught my eyes. Slapping myself on the forehead, I mentally cursed inside. How could I have been so stupid for getting onto the wrong platform! 

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Looking ahead: _Chapter 2._

Lily plays cat and mouse with the ticket inspector of the Magical Express. 

Meeting Harry and Janice Potter.

The Accident.

Reaching The Destination With The Wrong Identity.

An introduction to the remaining Potter family. 


End file.
